“Number 3………”
So.
Where were we?
It was now heading towards the end of 2013.
We were lucky enough to visit Spain in October and then had a magnificent trip to India, spending New Years Eve in Agra in a beautiful hotel overlooking the Taj Mahal.
(Let’s not mention the fact I had to retire early due to a very sore throat- what could that mean I wonder?????)
Aah! The Universe.
She works in mysterious ways.
In January 2014, Julius was given his notice. After 20 years of hard work, travel and dedication he was shown the door.
This was his life, it was all he had done his whole working life.
So what, you could say. People lose their jobs all the time!
Yes, it’s true, they do.
However in Singapore when you lose your job as an expat you have 4 months to find a new one or you’re out.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if in fact Jules couldn’t get a new job we would find ourselves back in Australia precisely 12 weeks before Jemima’s final HSC exams.
We couldn’t move her now, it just wasn’t an option. Her mental health was still precarious and moving would have been detrimental to her.
We had to stay and we had to make this work.
So now we had a daughter with depression, a wife with a crush and an unemployed husband.
Wow!!!!!
Things just seemed to be going from bad to worse.
At this point it was absolutely imperative to STAY POSITIVE!!!!!!!
…and to be honest when X was around I somehow managed to do this.
We had a choice.
As you always do in life.
We could have all fallen in a heap or just gone with the universal flow – it has a plan, it always does and we had a beautiful opportunity to just enjoy life and reconnect with each other and be there for our daughter.
Actually the timing WAS impeccable!
Jules had four months ‘gardening leave’ which meant he was unable to work for another corporation.
Once he got over the initial shock of how I ran the household and when he knew that after 20 years he didn’t have a hope in hell of changing the way things ran in the home, he slowly, very slowly began to adjust to his new life.
You never realise the impact losing your job has.
Gone are the weekly pay checks, gone is the routine, gone are the bonuses, but if you stay positive you can focus on the good that comes from it.
Sure the job had gone, but in its place was my husband.
Present and here.
Alive and well.
This was our chance. Our chance to reconnect. To remember our union and just how fabulous it was.
And no.
I didn’t get over X that easily there was still plenty of work to do there! Plenty to help me learn, plenty to help me grow, plenty to help me heal, plenty to help me remember.
Everything happens for a reason.